New rotors

[frazierfreud]

It looks like I need to replace my rotors. I know I want slotted rotors. What would be a best bang for my buck set of rotors? In doing some research, I had taken note of stillen, Baer eradispeed, DBA, full tilt boogie racing.

 

Anyone ever hear of putting my stock brembos on my rear wheels with new six piston calipers up front?

[svttim]

Full Tilt Boogie. Call Bruce about the back, I believe he has done that

[Kevin Patten]

All I can say is for the best "bang for the buck" go to Tire Rack and get the Stoptech Sport Slotted Cryo-Treated Rotors - Fronts 146 each / rears 108 each . As far as a mono block rear caliper on the back - you do not want a fixed rotor and fixed caliper on a 8.8" C-clip rear axle . If you want an upgrade go with the Steeda 13" rear brake kit which you can get with slotted rotors and optioned with matching slotted front rotors ( Stage 3 Motorsports has the best price on the kit ). If you are planning on going with 19" or 20" wheels then go big with the 2013-14 GT500 15" front brakes and 13.8" rear brakes ( Rehagen Racing has some killer pricing on take - offs right now ) JMO

[TrakRat]

I just put Stillen slotted rotors on the wife's Terminator. I like them a lot for the price. They even have directional cooling vanes inside the rotor vents.

[svttim]

You didn't say but, do you want two piece or one? Glad we could help since we all recommended someone different. I have bought parts from most of these vendors. I like Full Tilt Boogie because I am talking to a racer who knows his parts and tests them himself. He is a Shelby owner and, If I have questions, I can pick up the phone and call anytime. Relationships are worth a lot to me. As far as the rear, Albino500 is correct on not using fixed calipers on the 8.8. I would also add, rear brakes don't do a ton of work and IMHO, are not worth the effort. If you want them for street (they look good), OK

[mark.barton]

I can highly recommend the StopTech slotted rotors. I just put a set of the regular slotted rotors (the ones that are not Cryo-Treated) and they made a massive difference in the braking ability of the car. I got mine from AutoAnything.com. $116 for the fronts, $88 for the rears and free shipping. And if you time it right, you will get an offer for 10% off the price. (Quick note on the discount: I got the offer twice online and then it disappeared, so I called the order in, mentioned the discount, and they gave it to me anyway)

 

As far as moving the front Brembos to the rear, everything Albino and SVTtim said, plus you will loose your parking brake.......

 

Mark

[mark.barton]

FYI. If you are thinking about going to larger brakes, here is a link to some information on why bigger isn't always better.

 

http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/rear-brake-upgrades

[frazierfreud]

My brake pads still have lots of life left. Is it a problem to get new rotors without new pads?

[mark.barton]

My brake pads still have lots of life left. Is it a problem to get new rotors without new pads?

The only bad thing about the new rotor/old pad combination is that the pads have taken on the surface shape (grooves and tapering) of the old rotors and it may take quite a while for them to mate squarely with the new rotors. Until then, you will have issues with bedding in the rotors and pads. It's just the reverse of installing new pads with old uncut rotors.

 

When I replaced my rotors a couple of months ago, I went ahead and replaced the pads, even though the old pads had more than half their life left. Was it necessary? I don't know. But the peace of mind it gave me when braking from 120 MPH down to 40 to enter a turn was worth it.

 

Mark

[frazierfreud]

The only bad thing about the new rotor/old pad combination is that the pads have taken on the surface shape (grooves and tapering) of the old rotors and it may take quite a while for them to mate squarely with the new rotors. Until then, you will have issues with bedding in the rotors and pads. It's just the reverse of installing new pads with old uncut rotors.

 

When I replaced my rotors a couple of months ago, I went ahead and replaced the pads, even though the old pads had more than half their life left. Was it necessary? I don't know. But the peace of mind it gave me when braking from 120 MPH down to 40 to enter a turn was worth it.

 

Mark

do you think the cryo treated stoptech rotors are worth the extra dough over the non-cryo treated rotors? sounds like you have had time to run you car at the track since putting on the new rotors.

[Jer]

I would also add, rear brakes don't do a ton of work and IMHO, are not worth the effort. If you want them for street (they look good), OK

 

I used to think the same thing.

I had Shelby Extreme+ fronts with Eradispeed rears. Trying to save a few bucks.

When I got the matching Extreme rear kit, it was a considerable difference. Not just on the track, but in everyday driving.

 

 

Jer

[mark.barton]

do you think the cryo treated stoptech rotors are worth the extra dough over the non-cryo treated rotors? sounds like you have had time to run you car at the track since putting on the new rotors.

A good question that I don't have an answer to. I went with the regular ones because of budget. 4 slotted brake rotors for less than $380 fit the bill perfectly.

 

From what I understand, the cryro treatment changes the molecular structure of the iron to make it more crack resistant and hardens the surface to make it wear longer, so if you actually get a longer life out of them, then yeah it's probably worth it.

 

I did get to put some track time in after installing the rotors and man, what a difference they made. I used a brand new set of pads like I had installed previously with the stock rotors and, with these rotors, I had to adjust my braking points closer to the turn. I found using the same peddle presure and braking points that I had used before was actually causing me to be too slow on corner entry!

 

One last thing on slotted rotors. If you watch the video I posted from Heartland Park and listen to the background noise, you'll hear kind of a rumbling sound under braking that's not exhaust. It's the slots in the rotors going over the pads.

 

Mark

[mark.barton]

 

I used to think the same thing.

I had Shelby Extreme+ fronts with Eradispeed rears. Trying to save a few bucks.

When I got the matching Extreme rear kit, it was a considerable difference. Not just on the track, but in everyday driving.

 

 

Jer

6 piston calipers front AND rear. Yeah, I'd say you added a little clamping force to the beast.

 

Mark

[Kevin Patten]

do you think the cryo treated stoptech rotors are worth the extra dough over the non-cryo treated rotors?

 

About the same as paying extra for getting tires heat cycled over not heat cycled - last longer.....better chance in having equal pad transfer . JMO

[frazierfreud]

Good info. I think I'm going to keep my stock calipers and just improve the rotors. I'm thinking some Performance Friction Z rated pads may be a good next pad. My hawk HP plus seem to be fine as a track / street pad. I live with the excessive brake dust and squeaking. I've heard the z rated pads are just as good on the track and with less dust.

[mark.barton]

Good info. I think I'm going to keep my stock calipers and just improve the rotors. I'm thinking some Performance Friction Z rated pads may be a good next pad. My hawk HP plus seem to be fine as a track / street pad. I live with the excessive brake dust and squeaking. I've heard the z rated pads are just as good on the track and with less dust.

Performance Friction Z-Rated are the pads I run on my car and I've been very happy with the performance. As far as I can tell, the dust is about the same as the OEM pads and they will squeal occasionally, mostly when cold, but nothing I can't live with. My feeling was that if Ford used Performance Friction pads on their factory race cars, then who was I to argue. Another option I considered was EBC Yellow pads, which I've heard nothing but praise for.

 

Mark

[BlackKnight]

So I am waiting on a set of new rotors for all 4 wheels. I bought the Baer EradiSpeed+2 whicha re slotted and cross drilled. I have had numerous isues with my rear brakes while racing on a road course. I have a 2012 GT500 pretty much stock excpet for a new carbon fiber air intake to repalce the stock rubber one. I have less than 10,000 miles on the car and around 400 miles of that is track time. I drive very hard on the street as well. Since I bought the car I have changed the rear OEM pads twice. This last time my passenger side rear pads were compeltly shot on the outside but the inside pad was nearly new. On the drivers side rear wheel it was actually the opposit. Inside pad was gone and outside pad was almost new.

 

The front pads have only been changed once and are near needing replacement now while I wait on new Hawk ceramic pads to arrive.

 

Does any know what could be causing this issue with my rear pads?

[Kevin Patten]

Are you remembering to turn off the TCS ?

[mark.barton]

So I am waiting on a set of new rotors for all 4 wheels. I bought the Baer EradiSpeed+2 whicha re slotted and cross drilled. I have had numerous isues with my rear brakes while racing on a road course. I have a 2012 GT500 pretty much stock excpet for a new carbon fiber air intake to repalce the stock rubber one. I have less than 10,000 miles on the car and around 400 miles of that is track time. I drive very hard on the street as well. Since I bought the car I have changed the rear OEM pads twice. This last time my passenger side rear pads were compeltly shot on the outside but the inside pad was nearly new. On the drivers side rear wheel it was actually the opposit. Inside pad was gone and outside pad was almost new.

 

The front pads have only been changed once and are near needing replacement now while I wait on new Hawk ceramic pads to arrive.

 

Does any know what could be causing this issue with my rear pads?

 

Are you remembering to turn off the TCS ?

+1 on what Albino500 is asking. This sounds like a classic case of the traction and stability control systems doing their job too well and destroying the rear pads.

 

Mark

[Jer]

And, like most people, you are far more confident in left hand turns... LOL

 

 

Jer

[TurboGT]

Coming late to this discussion but here's my 2 cents.

I upgraded to DBA 5000 2-piece slotted (not cross drilled) fronts and DBA 4000 1-piece slotted rears. Of course with SS braided lines and race fluid & cooling ducts. First pad set was Hawk HPS in front and left the OEM in back. Big difference in braking confidence at the track, but the the HPS did lose some grip when they got very hot - to the point where there was actually some fading at the end of a hard session. The OEM in back did fine and no problems mating up to the new rotors. Of course the HPS are dusty as heck so I've learned to accept brake dust.

 

At Albino's suggestion (the dude knows his stuff!) I recently swapped the front HPS to Raybestos ST43 race compound and put HPS in back. The car will do a headstand now. I don't mean that in a negative way - just that when you stab the brake the car will stop RIGHT NOW! I've been driving it on the street with the Raybestos to break them in and aside from the rumbling noise Mark mentioned with the slotted rotors they are not squeaky at all - I was very careful to apply apply brake grease in strategic spots on the new pads. I fully expect the Raybestos/HPS combination will modulate well at the track when they heat up and should eliminate any fade - they are supposed to grip better when they're hot. The Raybestos are definitely more expensive, but I think will hold up better on the track, be easier on rotors, and in the end will be worth the higher initial cost.

 

Some other notes on rotor selection. I would highly recommend a 2-piece front rotor for several reasons. First, the rotor section can be replaced and reuse the center hat (you'll need the replace the mounting bolts though). Secondly, 2-piece rotors are lighter so you save rotating mass. Lastly, most high quality 2-piece rotor systems use an aluminum center hat which serves 2 purposes - it's lighter for weight savings, and perhaps more important - it helps the insulate the wheel hub from the tremendous heat generated in the rotor ring. This helps your hubs last longer. I'm pretty sure most of the higher end rotor mfg's use an aluminum center - I know DBA and FTB do. Unless you decide to upgrade the whole brake system, just use a 1 piece slotted rotor in back to save a few bucks. The rear brakes on the GT500 simply does not have the demands placed on it that the fronts do.

 

Hopes this helps.

[BlackKnight]

Albino500, on 09 Sept 2013 - 4:36 PM, said:

Are you remembering to turn off the TCS ?

 

No I leave it on because otherwise I'd hit a wall or spin out. Not used to the power and just started doing this. I will turn the TCS off and drive more cautiously and then see how that affects the wear. Thanks for the tip

[svttim]

 

I used to think the same thing.

I had Shelby Extreme+ fronts with Eradispeed rears. Trying to save a few bucks.

When I got the matching Extreme rear kit, it was a considerable difference. Not just on the track, but in everyday driving.

 

 

Jer

Well, Jer, Im coming around to your way of thinking. I am upgrading to FTB's 13 inch rear conversion. Uses stock calipers, relocated (very important) with two piece floating rotors. Best part, I believe it will be less than 1000 dollars. Replacement rings are a little bit more than quality stock rotors.

 

For the person who bought cross drilled rotors, please be carefull, inspect them every time you go out on track. They will probably warp easily but worse, if they crack, you could end up on your head

 

 

Albino500, on 09 Sept 2013 - 4:36 PM, said:

 

No I leave it on because otherwise I'd hit a wall or spin out. Not used to the power and just started doing this. I will turn the TCS off and drive more cautiously and then see how that affects the wear. Thanks for the tip

 

 

Yes, take it off. Think about it, all you are doing is having the car drive you. You need to handle the power, just don't exceed your comfort level. If your slow, its not a big deal. Seat time is what counts. Besides, it will wear out your brakes in no time. Remember, you still have ABS. I hope I don't come off to harsh, that is not my intent. Good luck

[mark.barton]

 

Albino500, on 09 Sept 2013 - 4:36 PM, said:

 

No I leave it on because otherwise I'd hit a wall or spin out. Not used to the power and just started doing this. I will turn the TCS off and drive more cautiously and then see how that affects the wear. Thanks for the tip

 

As svttim stated, there is no substitute for seat time. In the mean time, if you feel that you must have something to help control the car, then tap the traction control button once. That will disengage the brake portion of the traction control system and leave the stability control portion engaged which will take away power if it detects side to side slipage. You will find that turning the TCS completely off (motor running, brake pedal depressed and hold the TSC button down for about 8 seconds until the OFF message is displayed) is still the best option, because the best traction control system you can ever have is your right foot, the seat of your trousers and the grey matter between your ears.

 

Mark

[frazierfreud]

As svttim stated, there is no substitute for seat time. In the mean time, if you feel that you must have something to help control the car, then tap the traction control button once. That will disengage the brake portion of the traction control system and leave the stability control portion engaged which will take away power if it detects side to side slipage. You will find that turning the TCS completely off (motor running, brake pedal depressed and hold the TSC button down for about 8 seconds until the OFF message is displayed) is still the best option, because the best traction control system you can ever have is your right foot, the seat of your trousers and the grey matter between your ears.

 

Mark

Are you taking about a 2010 & up gt500, in regards to holding the TSC / TCS button down for 8 seconds? In my 2009, the TCS button is just on or off as far as I know.

[frazierfreud]

This is my rear break pads are wearing out much more quickly than the fronts! I thought that was weird since the front pads do most of the work.

 

I thought I would be able to tell if the TCS kicked in while driving at the track. I guess I can't.

[svttim]

This is my rear break pads are wearing out much more quickly than the fronts! I thought that was weird since the front pads do most of the work.

 

I thought I would be able to tell if the TCS kicked in while driving at the track. I guess I can't.

 

Nope . Will definitely take pad out in an 09

[Kevin Patten]

2007-2010 GT500's TCS is either on or off - every time you start the car you should push the TCS button and turn it off when participating in a performance oriented event . I believe if you look in your owners manual it will tell you the same thing . The TCS is tied into the ABS which can apply/release the rear brakes up to 500 times per second if the system is sensing what it considers a change in torque at the rear wheels ( it applies the rear brakes to slow the exciter ring speed down to match the front wheel ring speed / signal ) In other words the more you try to accelerate the more the TCS system applies/releases the rear brakes . This system is different than the Corvette's which applies the front inside brake based upon the steering wheel sensor - wheel exciter ring speeds - and yaw sensor . The system on the GT500 is more aped to activate when you are exiting a corner or going up the straight away and is probably why you can't tell it's happening . If you turn it off the car won't gain this big huge amount of power which will cause you to spin out but it will save your rear brake pads . Front brake hyd. pressures usually peak out at 1100 PSI while rear brakes are usually found to peak at only 800 PSI ( Peak not Constant ). Proper pad compounds are needed to balance out the brakes and are usually different front vs. rear . If you will notice what engineers have noted on these cars and the SN95 chassis along with the fox body cars is having a front disc brake one inch larger in diameter than the rear for performance and racing applications . They have toned it back slightly to a conservative 15" front and 13.8" rear ( a 1.2" spread ) on the 2013-14 GT500 but it's still considered a performance / racing set up which can be upgraded to multi-piece rotors and a true racing brake pad for those planning on being more aggressive or adding more horsepower than what they have provided . JMO

[mark.barton]

2007-2010 GT500's TCS is either on or off - every time you start the car you should push the TCS button and turn it off when participating in a performance oriented event . I believe if you look in your owners manual it will tell you the same thing . The TCS is tied into the ABS which can apply/release the rear brakes up to 500 times per second if the system is sensing what it considers a change in torque at the rear wheels ( it applies the rear brakes to slow the exciter ring speed down to match the front wheel ring speed / signal ) In other words the more you try to accelerate the more the TCS system applies/releases the rear brakes . This system is different than the Corvette's which applies the front inside brake based upon the steering wheel sensor - wheel exciter ring speeds - and yaw sensor . The system on the GT500 is more aped to activate when you are exiting a corner or going up the straight away and is probably why you can't tell it's happening . If you turn it off the car won't gain this big huge amount of power which will cause you to spin out but it will save your rear brake pads . Front brake hyd. pressures usually peak out at 1100 PSI while rear brakes are usually found to peak at only 800 PSI ( Peak not Constant ). Proper pad compounds are needed to balance out the brakes and are usually different front vs. rear . If you will notice what engineers have noted on these cars and the SN95 chassis along with the fox body cars is having a front disc brake one inch larger in diameter than the rear for performance and racing applications . They have toned it back slightly to a conservative 15" front and 13.8" rear ( a 1.2" spread ) on the 2013-14 GT500 but it's still considered a performance / racing set up which can be upgraded to multi-piece rotors and a true racing brake pad for those planning on being more aggressive or adding more horsepower than what they have provided . JMO

Actually, at least on the 2010 and up, you have 4 modes for the TCS. Fully on (normal start up mode), tap once to turn off the brake portion and leave the stability control on, tap twice quickly to put it into "Sport Mode" (like normal mode, just less intrusive, but will still eat rear pads) and finally, fully off, which is accomplished by the following: Engine running, pressing and holding the brake pedal and, at the same time, pressing and holding the TCS button for about 5 seconds (not 8 like I said before) until the message center shows AdvancedTrac OFF. Does it work on the 2009 and prior? Not sure. I would either try it out or check the owners manual.

 

Mark

[mark.barton]

This is my rear break pads are wearing out much more quickly than the fronts! I thought that was weird since the front pads do most of the work.

 

I thought I would be able to tell if the TCS kicked in while driving at the track. I guess I can't.

Absolutely the reason the rear pads are wearing out. Like Albino said, the brake portion happens so fast the you really won't feel it through the pedals or the seat of your pants (but you will see the hammer marks on the rear rotors). The stability control system on the other hand is easily felt, the motor goes flat no matter how hard you are pushing on the throttle. I hate it. It makes the car feel so unstable and twitchy exiting a turn.

 

Mark